The Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe...
Posted on 04/15/2011 6:36:26 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
A Belgian bishop forced to retire after admitting to years of sexual abuse of his nephew told Belgian television that he had molested another nephew and that it had all started "as a game."
Former Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, 74, said he did not consider himself a pedophile, according to news reports on the interview, which was broadcast April 14.
Belgium's bishops said they were "astounded" and "extremely shocked" by Bishop Vangheluwe's televised interview.
On April 11, the bishops' conference said Bishop Vangheluwe had been ordered by Vatican authorities to leave Belgium to undergo "spiritual and psychological treatment."
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said April 12 that "obviously" the bishop would be suspended from public ministry while further investigation was under way.
Additional measures may be taken against the bishop, who admitted last year that he had abused his nephew for 13 years, beginning when the child was 5 years old.
The abuse of the second nephew, which the bishop said lasted less than a year, had not been previously disclosed to the public.
Bishop Vangheluwe said in the interview that his behavior "had nothing to do with sexuality," according to the news reports from Belgium.
"I don't have the impression at all that I am a pedophile. It was really just a small relationship. I did not have the feeling that my nephew was against it, quite the contrary," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at uscatholic.org ...
The Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe...
The Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe...
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“I don’t have the impression at all that I am a pedophile. It was really just a small relationship. I did not have the feeling that my nephew was against it, quite the contrary,” he said.
It makes no difference WHAT your Nephew’s opinion was. It is still GROSSLY wrong.
You ARE a pedophile, sir, and I hope that the Catholic church removes you—especially since you are EVEN NOW JUSTIFYING YOUR BEHAVIOR.
"It began as a game with the boys" in cramped quarters during family gatherings, he said.
Whatever the Catholic Church does to him will absolutely pale in comparison when he goes to meet The Lord.
Why isn’t he in jail?
Agreed.
‘I convinced my five-year-old nephew it was a game.’. Shoot him. Post haste. No semblance of remorse means no cure.
I imagine his justification (finger down throat now) is used by many, many pedophiles. They are predators and they know where to find their prey, how to stalk their prey and how to catch their prey.
Many of them convince themselves that the abuse is acutally desired by the victim or worst that the victim seduced them.
I also know that in Holland there was a great deal of tolerance for pedophilia. Not sure if Belgium shared this but I do remember the arrest of Marc Dutroux one monster who was part of a ring. He claimed that the justice system did not want to pursue the ring because of the number of important people involved. It would not surprise me to discover one of these important persons was the Bishop.
Seems like there ought to be a special dispensation or something.
Because he really ought to go behind bars ... preferably wearing that lace number.
if he admits to 1 or 2.....given his age there are likely 50 - 100.....hang him.....
Why??
Liberalism is the religion of Holland, apparently.
What a sick, evil man! But his attitude is typical of abusers; they never think they’re doing anything wrong.
Thanks Dr. Scarpetta.
Americans followed English Common Law and Natural Law, but were not reacting to the abuses of Church and State as were the French.
“When you throw out the priest, you do not get paradise - sometimes you get the witch doctor”.
The French even removed laws forbidding incest. As a matter of fact, France only replaced the old laws on incest in the last year or two.
Acceptance of sexual practices widely deviant from the Judeo-Christian norms has a long history in Europe.
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